SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – It's the second time in roughly two weeks San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Larry Turner debating why they're the best bet for San Diego’s future.
Gloria and Turner participated in the KPBS debate on Thursday, discussing homelessness and ways to resolve it, like safe sleeping sites.
"What I said earlier on is we have to put a tourniquet on this and we have to stop them. So, on day one, I have to keep it. I want them to stay in there for the shortest amount of time we can until we get the beds for them,” Turner said when asked if he would close the safe sleeping sites.
"And I have plans to add another 1,000 beds at Kettner and Vine and another 200-plus safe parking spaces at H Barracks. By the way, both of those are proposals that my opponent opposes,” Gloria said.
Similar topics were brought up in our debate at ABC 10News in September.
"But here we are at the end, trying to come up with a solution to this with a 1,000-bed facility. I don't think 1,000-bed facilities are what we need. The IBA doesn't support it. The City Attorney doesn't support it,” Turner said during the ABC 10News debate.
"And I would disagree with what was said a moment ago. You can't add 931 new shelter beds on the streets in the last 12 months and act like we're just now starting to act on homelessness,” Gloria said during the ABC 10News debate.
ABC 10News spoke with both Gloria and Turner on how they felt this time around after participating in two debates.
"That there are two different visions for the city. Mine is focused on keeping you safe, building more housing, getting homeless folks off the streets and fixing our roads. And really someone that has no vision but does have a long list of grievances and complaints but no idea on how to fix them,” Gloria said after Thursday’s KPBS debate.
"This is how politicians I guess do this. They only want to talk for short sound bites, you know, real quick and not get into details. So, I don't like that. This is my second time doing this. I don't do these. I don't want to do these. I'd like to just be out and talk to the community and talk for hours,” Turner said after Thursday’s KPBS debate.
They also told me they didn't prepare much differently for the KPBS debate compared to the one on ABC 10News.
"I might have a few notes for me up there or some numbers to be accurate. But, yeah, I just say what I said,” Turner said.
"I'm happy to take the evening and explain to San Diegans what that work looks like and how we can do better going forward,” Gloria said.
Again, election day is November 5, and early voting starts on Monday.
